Author: sarahjane013

Black can be a difficult color to implement in your home. It represents a lack of color in a space and when too much black is used it can be overwhelming and dark. But when used appropriately it can give your home a classic and elegant look.

This living space is absolutely breathtaking. There is a theme of darker tones used in the paint, furniture and floor. To point out specifically the black paint used on the built in shelves. The color is absolutely beautiful but to prevent it from looking to bland they added books and trinkets to fill the shelves and if you also look you’ll see that they used items that had some color to them so that your eyes would be drawn to this shelf.

It’s all about creating the perfect environment when you are chillin’ outside. The black and white paint go well together to create the perfect balance. And to add a pop of color there are bright green plants placed all throughout the outside area to really invite the outdoors to be a part of your relaxing afternoon.

You’ll notice a theme with all these pictures; when using black paint it is a good choice to pair it with a pure white paint. What is the reason for this? Like we talked about above using the color black can go overwhelming if you go too crazy but when paired with a color the complete opposite it creates a good balance. Black and white together aren’t very exciting colors that is why you will see greenery or other small items with that have a bright hue to tie the whole thing together.

The great thing with black is that it is a timeless color, it will never go out of style. However, you do have to be careful because this color choice is so bold, if you don’t completely love it when that first coat is put on chances are that it won’t last long. So make sure it is something you are 100% confident with. And if you are go for it! Just like this picture up above it look amazing as the front of a grey house and a nice white trim. Be sure to decorate and add some more of your style to really paint your canvas.

Black cabinets are not a popular choice when it comes to the kitchen because it can become too much. But if you do it in the right way it can give your home a chic, modern look that will have your guests in awe! They even chose to have a dark colored back splash, even with a light texture added to it it’s easy for it to blend in with the cabinets. By adding a lighter colored counter top and the right kinds of appliances and kitchen decor & supplies it creates not only a functioning kitchen but a top notch interior design room.

You may have seen these new popular interior design popping up in homes called shiplap. Historically, shiplap was used as the wall in cottages and small homes. There were small grooves on the edges that clipped onto each other creating a lock. And as time went on the shiplap was used just as the base of the wall and then was covered with a type of fabric so that a wallpaper could be applied to create a decorative look.

You can use shiplap on all four walls or use it as an accent wall like is shown above. This type of shiplap wall is perfect for this bathroom because it is only a bath (no shower) and creates a decorative look in a space that would otherwise be boring and blank.

Here we see a popular look in homes nowadays, white shiplap. Because the wood boards are painted white we don’t see the character but it is rather a more clean cut look.

Isn’t this pastel mint green shiplap just lovely? So that the color and design isn’t too overwhelming there is a break between the walls with a white trim. It also does well to hide those imperfections on the ends.

Let’s check out shiplap in the kitchen. This look is very interesting because we see quite the variety of colors! The ceiling, the doors and the island are all different colored stains of wood. The white shiplap creates a great connection between them all and the decorative elements add to the design look.

The shiplap in this bathroom doesn’t even cover a full wall, it is used for the sole purpose to create a background for the mirrors on the wall. It stops exactly where the bathroom counter ends. This is a very unique look that we think looks great!

This is a traditional look that dates back to the beginning of shiplap. It’s a raw look that look SO good. It’s interesting to see this different dynamic in this kitchen. In one side of the room the shiplap is placed on the top half of the room with a whitebrick layering the bottom. But we see a small sample of the next room to the right of the picture that features the same shiplap lining the bottom half of the wall but a grey painted wall on top. There is a great “white color” presence that is used in different ways but they are all connected to each other.

The important thing when it comes to shiplap is that small space that you see in-between each slat of wood. You can create this by placing a nickel between the wood when you install them.

Now this is a neat idea, allowing the character in each wood plank plays an important element the design.

This is a super cool space to have install shiplap in and unlike the other rooms we have seen this shiplap is headed in a vertical direction. This antique look is achieved by painting the individual wood your desired color and then sanding different sections to give it that old, rustic look.

When the word summer comes to mind in flutters images of splashing in the pool, the smell of a campfire, hearing the fireworks on the Fourth of July, eating unlimited supplies of watermelon and of course feeling that warm heat on your skin. Summer is a time of year that everyone looks forward to. The Earth feels alive and we do too!

There is a reason why our homes are sometimes called a “living space.” Don’t let it just be that word but let it come to life! Choose paint colors that will bring character to your home. Allow the wonderful traits of summer inspire you to bring something new to your home!

This blue paint sets the backdrop for this room. And the small elements like the white fireplace, furniture, appliances, trim and other small items creates a vision of being outside on a nice day with the bright blue sky and puffy white clouds. It gives this room that the appearance that it is larger than it actually is.

Do you love the feeling of your toes wriggling through the sand? This color inspired by the ocean’s front lawn gives a perfect welcome to your home. It’s a beautiful neutral color that still gives your home a nice, peaceful vibe.

This room is inspired by our brilliant sun! The color on these walls is a pale yellow that we feel truly resembles the first white-yellow sun rays that light the sky every sunrise. The owner placed a sun mirror on the wall as the center of attention to add to the sun theme.

Nature is filled with brilliant colors, and although we adore them putting them up on our walls is not always the best idea. But we can use them to inspire us to use a lighter hue or implement them in our furniture/accessories. This room is truly bringing the outdoors in, inspired by soft green grass it gives the space a cool, calm feeling.

The Fourth of July is just around the corner and the stores are filling up with their red, white and blue gear for the big day! The colors of our country are iconic and go well together! So why not implement them in your home? Along with the patriotic look it is also very modern. We want to discuss the different ways you can use these 3 colors to renovate your space by using different shades, and ideas within the home of just where to splash these colors.

Ask not what your home can do for you, but what YOU can do for your home!

This is a great look to start off with. As you can see the room is painted a dark blue, with a white patterned accent wall. We love that the pattern uses that dark blue as well to tie all the walls together. Keeping with the theme they used a lighter shade of blue for the curtains, a white comforter on the bed and a red bed frame. The most used color in this room is blue but you can see that all the colors are still great accents to it.

The only thing you have to fear is an outdated house!

This bedroom is a beaut! The first thing that your eye is drawn to is of course the historic American flag. It is hung against a white ship lap wall that encircles the whole room. There is a nice break in the space with the navy blue painted ceiling, with a hanging white ceiling fan which does well to tie the ceiling to the wall. The beds are a nice dark blue and of course to add that extra umph! to the space is a the comfy red leather chair in the corner by the window.

Home of the Brave

Some might not be thrilled to have their front door painted a brilliant hue of bright red! However, does this house not pull it off? It draws attention to this home and would definitely stand out on their street. It is framed by a white trim and surrounded by cute shuttered windows. The whole home is a calm light blue with dark blue shutters.

God bless America, my home sweet home

Here we have another room with a dark blue wall. This space is more open and has great window space which really brightens the room. The floor is laid with a beautiful wood that gives the space a homey feel. It is paired with an even darker blue rug and parallel to the floor there is a long, red sofa with a navy blue & white striped pillow plopped on top.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of a happy home

We got ourselves here a cherry-tomato red painted room! Many people are skeptical when it comes to painting a whole room this color because red can be intense. This is a perfect room for this color because of the shelving unit that takes up most of one of the walls. The shelves are painting a clean cut white that gives a good balance with the red it is set against. This room is very patriotic with the stars and stripes(plaid) that come in all the colors we adore; red, white and blue. And of course we need to point out the tan carpet that is patterned with white stars!

A home of opportunity

This home exterior is similar to the one we showed above. The blue is very close in color however this one is tad more bright which draws the attention more to the blue than to the red door. However the red door is a great accessory along with the hints of red that are found outlining the white trim. The white railing is a nice touch that runs along the more calm and lighter blue painted stairs.

Proud to be a homeowner

You can never go wrong with a white room but you definitely need to add some fireworks to make it great! We love wood boards on the ceiling with white painted wood beams across it. The furniture has a theme of navy blue but the red roses and glasses add pop of color.

We are blessed in this day and age that there are paint stores within minutes of our homes with thousands of different colors of paint to choose from. You can bring in an item of a color you like and get it matched in a matter of minutes. But what do you think it was like for those who were first on the Earth where the only options for color they had was in the nature that surrounded them.

Humans have always had a desire to decorate the space where they lived. They used whatever they could find that offered a vibrant color. They used natural substances like black soot, and plants mixed with animal blood and fatty oils.

Painters have been a part of this world for a long, long time but when they were first recorded as an organization or group was in the 14th century. In the beginning painting professions were distinguished by a “Painter’s Company” and a “Stainer’s Company.” The recipes they found for applying paint and stain were hid from the rest of the world so as to protect their company so that they could receive all the business. After a few hundred years the two groups eventually merged and became the “Worshipful Company of Painters and Stainers.”

As time went on and the Pilgrims voyaged from Europe to America the religious practice of Puritans was started. It was cultured that if you painted your home it was a show of vanity. Painters and stainers were no longer needed as this was considered a sin and immoral. In the 1600s a preacher took a stand by decorated the interior of his home with paint and was charged as a criminal as this offense was sacrilegious.

We are all grateful that time went on and color was permitted to splash the walls of the homes in America! In the great year of 1718 Marshall Smith invented a machine that would grind up natural materials to create a color used for painting. And thus more and more new color hues and shades were created for the benefit of everyone!

You may have seen this painting company before, but did you know that it was actually the very first company to produce and sell ready-to-use paint? Harry Sherwin, Alanson Osborn and Edward Williams formed the well known company Sherwin, Williams, & Co. in Cleveland Ohio. Poor Alanson didn’t get his name in the title, but nonetheless all the hard work that was put into this company’s success was well worth it. Henry Sherwin later was able to create a tin can that the buyers could reseal for a later use.

And while this company was at the top of it’s game a new up and coming company named Benjamin Moore started working on it’s own painting inventions in 1883. They put all their focus on the chemistry behind the colors that would give customers the ability to create and find the exact color that they are looking for. All their hard work paid off as well in 1982 when they were the first to successfully design a computer based color-matching system.

After learning the history of paint it’s hard not to be grateful for all the effort that was put into creating a paint that is good quality, long lasting and just the right color you want! We have total control in our very own space to be the artist and our home is our canvas!

Cabinets are found in every single home. They are imperative for storage and bring a beautiful design element to the space. While there is a large variety of what color your cabinets could be they are generally segregated into two categories. Painted or stained. Not sure which one you prefer? Not problem, keep reading and hopefully you’ll get a better idea of what you like!

Painted Cabinets

If you are looking for a clean, sleek kitchen design, painted cabinets will be the way to go. We are talking about those beautiful white kitchen cabinets that all of us simply just adore!

Especially if you aren’t a fan of the character marks that come with the wood cabinets. The paint creates a smooth surface that gives it a nice even appearance. Although white painted cabinets are most common don’t be afraid to venture out and try something different!

Choosing white or neutral colors creates a spacious feeling in a kitchen. But if you would like to add some character to your cabinets you can add different shades to give it an antique feel.

You can defy all the status quos and choose a pure black. It is very modern and while it masks the character marks in the wood when you look closely they also give the marks great depth. Be careful to choose a lighter color for the counter tops and the back splash.

This is a great example of experimenting with the color wheel. This color is a cross between a green and grey.

Brown is an elegant color that is warm and inviting. While it doesn’t bring a brightness to a room it is powerful in a space!

If you can’t decide which color you like better no worries! Choose both! As long as they look good together, of course!

Stained Cabinets

Staining your cabinets is a great balance between color and texture. Stain is so thin that it seeps into the wood which darkens the deeper marks.

The dark stain is stunning! Wood is such a homey piece of furniture that it really brings a down to earth feeling to a home.

ACCENTuating your home with an accent wall is like adding an exclamation mark to the end of a sentence. It adds excitement to the space without feeling completely overwhelmed by the whole room painted that color. This option can give the room an architectural feel that is lost by a “boxy” room. It can also be a great focal point for the specific wall you would like to be the center of attention.

When making this choice it is very important that you splash that paint on the right wall so that it doesn’t look out of place or awkward. Below are a few photos as evidence that accent walls can be a perfect choice!

In this picture red was chosen as an accent against a wall that is shared with a fireplace & TV. The red isn’t a bright or loud color but it is rich and deep which gives a homey feel to the space. It perfectly frames the fireplace and draws the eye to the warm fireplace.

Here is another example of using the wall behind a fireplace as an accent, but this time it is a bright blue against an otherwise bleak gray. The room looks modern, clean and professional.

A block of color is cool and all but it’s fun to spice things up with a pattern! In this nursery They used a color that is found already within the room in the accessories and furniture. It ties the whole room together and gives it a fun and exciting feel! Which is perfect for a new addition to a family!

When a room is filled with neutral elements it is fairly easy to choose a color that will go great as an accent wall. This person chose a nice calm green to bring an earthy vibe to the space. It doesn’t draw too much attention to itself but really aids in completing the package.

The bedroom is a popular place to do an accent wall. The best option is to paint the wall that will go behind the bed. It looks better if the bed has a nice headboard to go along with it so that it gives the wall some nice layers of color and draws your eyes to the nice comfy bed that awaits you every night.

Get creative with your accent wall! Come up with new patterns, colors or designs to add a unique taste to your home. We enjoy this picture as it is a nice welcome to their home. There is a lot of elements in such a small space but it doesn’t feel overwhelming or over the top. They did a great job utilizing a space that is more often overlooked.